The service will move McDonald's into the ranks of such pizza purveyors as Domino's and Pizza Hut, which have been offering home delivery for years.

Brown said she and other McDonald's officials ``have been exploring the delivery idea for awhile.'' But, she said, it's too early to say much more than that.

McDonald's has been offering delivery service at some of its restaurants in major metropolitan areas for about a year, said a spokeswoman for McDonald's corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.

The McDonald's at New York City's Union Square has been making deliveries for about a year to offices within a 2-mile radius of the store during times nearby offices are open, a manager at that restaurant said. It requires a $15 minimum order and delivers only to businesses that have established an account at the eatery.

McDonald's continually experiments with its basic burger and fries concept to stay ahead of competitors, said John Maxwell, an analyst with Wheat First Butcher & Singer in Richmond.

The chain is now testing fried chicken in Hampton Roads and two other markets.

``They've been fiddling around with different ideas for years, experimenting with everything from pizza to tacos,'' Maxwell said. ``It's just the way of the business.''

LOCATIONS

McDonald's plans to test a home delivery service at seven of its 16 Peninsula restaurants. A help-wanted advertisement on Sunday listed these eateries: